A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the Sanriku Coast, Japan, yesterday (April 20) afternoon, injuring at least six people and triggering tsunami waves reaching up to 80 centimeters in height. The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned that the risk of a subsequent strong earthquake of magnitude 8 or higher within the next week has increased. Honorary Professor Kawata Yoshiaki of Kyoto University issued a stark warning, stating that the probability of a megathrust earthquake occurring in the Nankai Trough within the next 50 years exceeds 90%. Should such an event occur, it would trigger a catastrophic disaster and could even lead to the collapse of Japan's national infrastructure.
The so-called Nankai Trough refers to a trench that stretches from central Honshu, Japan, to the eastern coast of Kyushu, with a total length of approximately 700 kilometers. It serves as the subduction zone where the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate converge. Should the immense energy accumulated from long-term tectonic compression be released, it could trigger a massive earthquake measuring between 8.5 and 9.1 on the Richter scale, with tsunami waves reaching heights of up to 30 meters in some coastal areas.
According to a report by CCTV News, Kawata Yoshiaki stated that the destructive power of a major earthquake in the Nankai Trough lies not only in the earthquake and tsunami themselves, but also in the cumulative impact of multiple secondary disasters: infrastructure will be completely paralyzed, and nuclear power plants, power grids, and transportation networks will be destroyed; Japan faces a severe aging population, resulting in a shortage of labor for rescue and reconstruction efforts, and the enormous reconstruction costs will cripple the economic system; supply shortages and panic could also trigger social unrest, ultimately leading to the paralysis of national governance.
Currently, Japan has implemented defensive measures such as early warning systems, disaster prevention infrastructure, and emergency preparedness, including the deployment of over a thousand tsunami monitoring stations, the adoption of seismic resistance standards for buildings, and the conduct of nationwide drills. However, issues such as an aging population and conflicts over resource allocation continue to pose severe challenges to these defenses.
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